Alternate to Sonotube?

[suniil]

I'm planning to build one sonosub inspired by Ron's project. So far I've a SVS 12.2 driver which i got as spare while upgrading to 12.3 driver.

This is for my holiday/second home in India. I don't think i can find sonotube there, but someone else suggests PVC pipe as an alternate.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

thank you

[Chrisbee]

PVC is probably heavier than Sonotube but once the subwoofer is in place this is not a problem.

There are at least two types of PVC in the larger diameters.

The first is drainpipe which usually has considerably greater wall thickness than the following:

Ventilation tubing. A much lighter weight with thinner wall. Whether either is available locally in India is open to question.

Alternatives in suitable diameters include standard spiral wound steel ventilation tubing. The very thin steel makes it very sharp and difficult to cut without an angle grinder. Comes in all sizes imaginable.

Ordinary steel pipe comes in all sizes and many different wall thicknesses. You may need a crane or lots of helpers to move it depending on how heavy it is.

Stainless steel is nice but heavier than ordinary steel.

There is (I believe) considerable experience over there in working with sheet metal.

No doubt a rolled tube could be obtained locally in copper or steel. (Riveted, welded or soldered at the joint)

Concrete and ceramics are massively heavy in any diameter worth consideration.

Aluminium (aluminum) irrigation pipe is available in some parts of the world.

A rolled plywood tube might be easily made locally in India. A couple of laminations are usually enough. Use waterproof glue in high humidity situations.

A pipe from edge-glued battens made on a former is easy enough to have made.

I expect there are scrap metal and recycling centers all over India which would be worth searching out for a suitable tube.

I'd avoid asbestos reinforced cement pipe for indoor use.

Papiér maché is easily formed around a suitable pipe as a mould, then split and glued at the joint.

Or a collapsible former can be easily made with split rounds covered in battens or sheet then covered in glued-soaked paper or newspaper. Remember to cover your former in polythene sheet to stop the papiér maché from sticking.

A square section pipe is easily made from plywood sheet with corner battens for strength.

[SteveCallas]

Anywhere there is consruction, I'd imagine you should be able to find generic cylindrical concrete forms. Aside from weight, the issue I would see with PVC is cost.

[Chrisbee]

SteveCallas wrote:

Anywhere there is consruction, I'd imagine you should be able to find generic cylindrical concrete forms. Aside from weight, the issue I would see with PVC is cost.

'

I used a 24" diameter x 36" long concrete pipe as a roller to level the hardcore base for my new workshop.

Lifting it was not an option. Though it could be moved with a pneumatic-wheeled sack truck. (with difficulty and only on the level)

[suniil]

Chrisbee: that's a lot of information, looks positive for me.

Rolled plywood & lamination are good cheap options. Also carpenters (costs me max £3 per day) are familiar with this type of stuff

SteveCallas: probably i'm googling/enquiring indian suppliers with wrong keyword (sonotube), they may have a different term for sonotube

[Chrisbee]

Do a search around "tubular pile casting forms" and variations on that theme.

[SteveCallas]

Sonotube is a brand name, so I doubt it will show up. When you get back to India, if you call concrete suppliers and ask for cylindrical concrete forms, you'll probably turn up something pretty easily. My own 28" tube isn't Sonotube, it's Easy Pour.

[suniil]

Chrisbee,SteveCallas: many thanks for the search tips and other info.

I've found these guys deals with Cylindrical paper tubes. Could you guys please have a look and confirm.

http://www.saviotexcone.com
http://www.coresmith.com
http://papertubesindia.com

[SteveCallas]

Seems like only that last site lists industrial application uses - the other two don't seem to make them in large enough diameters.

[Chrisbee]

The second company shows 450mm which is 16" maximum internal diameter.

The third company shows 200mm which is only 8"

The first website is too confusing to easily work out what they do apart from postal tubes. They may be confusing diameter with length.

They all have contact email addresses...

Make it clear in your inquiries that you only want one tube. If they get all excited about producing lots of huge tubes they could go bust!

[suniil]

SteveCallas & Chrisbee

Many thanks for the help.

Chrisbee wrote:

Make it clear in your inquiries that you only want one tube. If they get all excited about producing lots of huge tubes they could go bust!